Fight Night Houston main card

Main event: Chan Sung Jung defeated Dennis Bermudez

The Korean Zombie returns in grand fashion Saturday night, stopping Dennis Bermudez by KO in the first round with a perfectly timed right upper cut that folded “The Menace” up like an accordion. Chan Sung Jung KOed Bermudez at 2:49 of the first round. Bermudez tested the legendary chin on Jung early in the round, and then looked to land a takedown. But the Zombie took the punch and then defended the takedown. Bermudez was backing up and threw a lazy jab and then looked to change levels, and he walked into the upper cut that finished him. Jung picks up his first win since May 15, 2012.

They said it: Chan Sung Jung : “It definitely felt different from sparring [to return to UFC], it felt good to be back in the Octagon. For the time I was away, I practiced a lot. What I worked on the most was my wrestling and footwork. I wasn’t really expecting the knockout to come that fast. It just happened. I want to thank everyone who helped me prepare for this return!”

Felice Herrig used volume, experience and combinations to thwart rising star Alexa Grasso in the co-main event. Herrig landed a pair of takedowns and unofficially was out-struck 81-74 by Grasso, but the young Mexican didn’t get things going until the third round. Herrig won a unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27. The well-rounded performance by Herrig earns her the second straight win and improves her overall record to 12-6. Grasso suffers the first loss of her career, falling to 9-1.

They said it: Felice Herrig : “Everything went according to plan tonight! I knew he was a strong wrestler but I don’t feel that anyone in the division can hold me down. I really believe that. I have great coaches and I train with some very high level Iranian wrestlers so my wrestling has improved a lot. My biggest critique of myself is that I should’ve thrown more but I knew he couldn’t keep up with my pace and I have thousands of reps on these chokes so I knew the time would come for me to catch him. I’m not going to lie, I couldn’t believe that he escaped the first one. The D’Arce choke is my money move. I catch black belts with it so I was blown away that he made it through. This will sound weird, but I actually think that I sunk it in too deep and maybe should’ve backed it up a little bit. As soon as I locked in the second one though, I knew it was over. You can just tell by sounds and reactions so I knew he was done. I want the bonus tonight and I think I earned it. Next, I want to fight in Dallas on May 13th. I would like to fight someone in the Top 15. I know I’m one of the best fighters in the world so I want to prove it!”

James Vick used his length to keep the power of Abel Trujillo at bay, and then in the third round landed a jumping switch knee to the head that rocked “Killa” and the rest was academic. Vick submitted Trujillo with a D’Arce choke at :49 seconds of the third round. Vick suffered the first loss of his career last time out against Beneil Dariush. “The Texicutioner” halts a three-fight win streak for Trujillo.

They said it: James Vick : “Everything went according to plan tonight! I knew he was a strong wrestler but I don’t feel that anyone in the division can hold me down. I really believe that. I have great coaches and I train with some very high level Iranian wrestlers so my wrestling has improved a lot. My biggest critique of myself is that I should’ve thrown more but I knew he couldn’t keep up with my pace and I have thousands of reps on these chokes so I knew the time would come for me to catch him. I’m not going to lie, I couldn’t believe that he escaped the first one. The D’Arce choke is my money move. I catch black belts with it so I was blown away that he made it through. This will sound weird, but I actually think that I sunk it in too deep and maybe should’ve backed it up a little bit. As soon as I locked in the second one though, I knew it was over. You can just tell by sounds and reactions so I knew he was done. I want the bonus tonight and I think I earned it. Next, I want to fight in Dallas on May 13th. I would like to fight someone in the Top 15. I know I’m one of the best fighters in the world so I want to prove it!”

Volkan Oezdemir took out Ovince Saint Preux on two weeks’ notice, taking a close split decision win, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28. Oezdemir outlanded the veteran, 94-71 and stuffed all four of OSP’s takedowns to earn the win.

They said it: Volkan Oezdemir : “When I signed the fight, a lot of people were congratulating me on joining the UFC but that was not enough for me. Of course, coming to the UFC was always a goal for me as a fighter but I knew I needed to perform. I knew I needed to win to prove that I belong here. I want to climb the ranks. OSP is a very tough fighter. I thought I would come in fast and try to finish him. That wasn’t meant to be tonight though so I am just very happy to have a win like this. Now, I want to keep winning to prove I belong here. I don’t know if I will be ranked yet since I am new but this was the start. I will continue to prove that I belong here.”

Marcel Fortuna had a nasty cut open up on one eye early in his fight with Anthony Hamilton, but the Brazilian landed a bomb of a right hand on Hamilton later in the first round to KO Hamilton at 3:10. Fortuna is a light heavyweight that took the fight on short notice to get an opportunity in the UFC. He KOed the big man and now looks to make noise at 205 inside the Octagon.

They said it: Marcel Fortuna : “I was fighting a much heavier guy and I was afraid of him using his weight on me so I focused on keeping the distance. I was able to do that and keep my hands moving. Thank God it worked out and I was able to get the knockout. I just want to keep fighting. I took this fight on short notice and it’s obviously a big weight class for me so I’m excited to get back down to light heavyweight. Hopefully this fight shows what I am capable of and I will be ready for any light heavyweight!”

In an early Fight of the Year contender, Jessica Andrade and Angela Hill went to war and left it all in the Octagon after 15 minutes of battle. Andrade got the nod in the decision, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, utilizing a blitzing and aggressive attack to keep Hill backing up for most of the fight. But Hill’s ability to take punches and return fire was truly amazing. Andrade landed two takedowns and out-struck Hill, 92-65. Andrade now has three wins in a row since moving down to strawweight and is now eyeing a fight with champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

They said it: Jessica Andrade : “I had a lot of determination and willpower and that was what led me through this incredible battle. The fact that Angela could take so many punches was surprising. I wasn’t expecting that at all! She is a warrior. I expect Joanna [Jedrzejczyk] next and that is the only fight that makes sense. I will train the hardest I can and I promise to put on an amazing show for the fans!”

Fight Night Houston FS1 prelims

Curtis Blaydes defeated Adam Milstead

The only term that came to mind in the first round of this fight was rag dolled, because Curtis Blaydes tossed Adam Milstead around the Octagon like a toy. It appeared like Milstead injured his knee in the first round and in the second it completely gave out on him, resulting in a gruesome injury that forced a stop to the fight at :59 seconds of round two.

They said it: Curtis Blaydes : “I hate to see the fight end that way but I hope my performance is what will be remembered. I feel great. I could have kept going and slamming him like that all night. That was my game plan and I was doing it until his knee gave out. It’s unfortunate and I feel for him. I hope he’s ok and not out for too long. When I watched his film, I thought he was more of a counter striker so I was waiting for him to move away but then he started coming to me so I was surprised by his aggression. I think that just helped with my takedowns though. When I saw him walking in and giving me his hips, I just started setting up the takedowns. I’m not one to call out a name, I just want to fight someone ahead of me in the division and I want another long camp so I can continue to sharpen my skills.”

Chas Skelly was better everywhere against Chris Gruetzemacher and landed a takedown in the second round which was the end of the road for the former Ultimate Fighter competitor. Skelly took Gruetzemacher’s back and wrapped his arm across the neck of Gruetz and forced him to tap to the rear naked choke at 2:01 of the second round. Skelly now has won six of his last seven fights.

They said it: Chas Skelly : “I thought the fight went well. I had my way with him on the feet. I thought I landed the better shots. I was doing solid work and then I was able to get him down and get the finish so, overall, I thought it went really well! When I watched his film, I noticed he would give up his back a lot of times to get up off the mat so I was surprised with his defense. He did a really good job of keeping himself pressed against the cage, even though I think I’m good at scooting people away from it. He wasn’t letting me get both hooks in either so I knew I was going to have to attack with a submission in order to get that other hook in. World War II was won because they attacked from both sides so I just kept working to get the hook while pushing for a submission and I was able to break him down! If you’re attacking and getting your leg in, a guy can’t defend both at the same time. Once I got his chin turned, I knew it was only a matter of time. I want a couple of things next… I want to set the record for most submissions at featherweight. I’ve got 4 already and I’m only seven fights in so I want to make history! I would also like to get back in there with Darren Elkins or Mirsad Bektic since they are the only losses I’ve had.”

Ricardo Ramos had a first round to remember in his first five minutes inside the Octagon, knocking down Michinori Tanaka with a counter straight right. The rest of the fight was more of a grind, but Ramos did enough in the eyes of the judges to take the win, 29-28, 30-27, 29-28. Ramos improves to 10-1 and wins in his debut. At only 21 years old, Ramos is one of the most promising prospects in the UFC.

They said it: Ricardo Ramos : “I am very happy! It was a tough fight but I gave my best and I want to thank everyone who has supported me, especially this week. I was very surprised by his strength. I did not think he would be that strong so I had to make some changes. I would like to get the finish but I am thankful for the win! Now that I have made it to the UFC, this win proves that I belong. I am going to do everything in my power to continue to grow. One day, I want to have the belt but this is about more than a belt. This is my journey.”

Tecia Torres had a textbook “Tiny Tornado” performance against Bec Rawlings, neutralizing the powerful striking game of the Aussie en route to a unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27. Torres landed a takedown that led to 4:20 of top control and out-struck Rawlings, 92-33 to capture her fourth win in the UFC. Rawlings now sits at 2-3 in the UFC and has lost her last two.

They said it: Tecia Torres : “I was really excited to get back in the Octagon tonight, it had been a long time coming. There was a little bit of ring rust, I thought, but my cardio felt good so I knew I could keep going. There were a couple of points in the fight where I hesitated so I’m just happy to get back in there and get a win. I’ve been focusing a lot on becoming more well-rounded. I feel most people know I am a great striker so I wanted to focus more on my ground game coming into the fight and I felt good in my transitions with Bec. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m good at takedowns and getting the positions; now I just need to get those finishes when I have the opportunity. It was cathartic to get back in the Octagon and I’m already itching to get out there again and get an even more dominant win in the next one. There are two more strawweight fights tonight so I will be watching them closely and I’ll be ready to get back out there soon!”

Fight Night Houston FIGHT PASS prelims

Niko Price was dropped twice in the first round, but the Florida product survived and stayed focused until he finished Alex Morono with a perfectly-placed right hook at 5:00 of the second round. The stoppage seemed to come after the horn but Morono was out cold and the referee can make the decision to stop the fight. The finishing blow was almost an upper cut that Price was able to get everything into.

They said it: Niko Price : “I was really surprised by his movement. I couldn’t gauge my distance in the first round. Once I got him against the cage, I felt like I was able to correct that more but he was really good at staying on his toes and I really underestimated that. I went into a brawl mode because of it and I’m disappointed in myself for doing that. I did not even hear the bell. I just saw his positioning and knew that I had the knockout. I am happy I got the knockout but I don’t want to slip back into being a brawler so I plan on working on that more back in the gym. I took the fight on short notice so I had ten days to get ready but fighting is my job and I wasn’t going to turn it down. I am happy with the win but I definitely want to work on a few things. I don’t care who the next opponent is. I’m at the pinnacle of the sport [in the UFC] so now it’s just about getting better. I’m excited to get back to the gym and doing what I love!”

Ultimate Fighter season 23 finalist Khalil Rountree started off Fight Night Houston with a explosive finish when he connected on a knee to the head of Daniel Jolly who was in on Roundtree trying to take down the Las Vegas native. Rountree won by KO at :52 of the very first round. It is no secret that opponents of Rountree are looking to get him to the ground and more importantly on his back. The powerful striker has lost his first two in the UFC and has struggled keeping the fight standing. But Rountree showed great takedown defense in the one-minute finish to pick up his first UFC win.

They said it: Khalil Rountree : “That was all reflex. My corners and I understood coming in that he would try to take me down so that is something that I drilled over and over again in this camp so it was natural. I focused my camp on wrestling and spent a lot of time working with Tom Lawlor on wrestling, jiu-jitsu and just general grappling but saw the perfect opportunity to end the fight. I’m heading right back to the gym. I want to train more, learn more and improve my skills as a fighter. I want to make a statement that I am up there with the best fighters in this division and I know I need to put work in to get there. I’m also going to spend some time looking at the division. I don’t have an exact opponent in mind next but my coaches and I are going to sit down and determine who should be next.”

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